spitballing about potential lightner x tenna plot (tentatively called bad owner AU)
so the reader character in this story is not a bad person, at least not intentionally. you're just a normal lightner, unaware of your effect on the dark world. your previous TV just broke, a nice flatscreen OLED smart TV, and you can't afford to replace it. so you make a run for it as soon as your friend lets your know there's a free TV left out by someone's curb.
when you show up and see it in person, you strongly consider leaving it behind and waiting for something better. an old, beat-up CRT, seriously? this thing can't even connect to your gaming consoles, at least not without an adapter. but an adapter is cheaper than a new TV... and it's got a pretty big screen, at least for a CRT... this thing will have to do until something better comes along. begrudgingly, you take it home.
you regret your decision within a day. no wonder this thing was given away for free, it's a piece of junk. the colors are all fucked up, it constantly has connection issues with the adapter, which makes everything look like shit regardless. you still use it, but you verbally let your issues be known. and you continue doing this nearly every single day for six months.
i'm going to be doing some canon-bending wrt the dark fountains. why is tenna capable of creating a dark fountain? Who Knows. i'm not concerned with it. but you're settling down for another night of complaining at your godawful piece of shit TV when all of a sudden you fall into a dark world.
tenna looks.... ungreat, at least from the perspective of someone who knows him from canon. his suit is visibly mended, at least where it isn't entirely torn. the studio doesn't look so hot, either. it's ramshackle, thrown together. he doesn't have mike, only has a handful of employees, and every part of this has been taking a toll on him. and when you appear in front of him he's got the biggest, angriest smile on.
he starts leading you through a game that is basically a series of saw traps where passive-aggressiveness stands in for gore. and it does work to make you feel bad. you had no idea this TV was also a person, you had no idea you were doing this to him. so you try to play along, tell him what he wants to hear.
it's just that he's VERY unpleasant when he's like this. your attitude goes from pitying, to mildly annoyed, to extremely annoyed. so you finally snap and tell him that you're not interested in his guilt session and that you were right about him all along.
and he's like. haha! okay! i think you don't really understand the situation you're in right now! because you're going to be coming back here EVERY SINGLE NIGHT for the FORESEEABLE FUTURE until you finally understand how to be grateful for the things you're given! hahaha!!!! see you tomorrow night, sweetheart!!!!!
